PROLOGUE...
The light filtered through the window shining a brilliant light on his tear stained face. He looked at the letter, the paper worn from the millions of times he had read it, and read over it again. Each word burning into his memory. He could quote it word for word and he mouthed it to himself again.
Dear Syver~
I wanted to tell you to your face, but you have found more important activities, that don't include me. I have taken Mikaila with me, I do not know where we will go, or how we'll get there. I will dream of the man I loved and who he used to be, maybe you should too.
~Khrua~
Syver, folded the paper back into it's envelope, and fingered at it. Why had she left him? Why take their daughter from him? He was trying desperatly to change, to be with them, if only she had given him that chance. Why did she have to be so stubborn. He turned in the chair and grasped the small dagger he had placed on the small table by the bed. Slowly he carved a K into his arm, making it a reminder to find her, and make her love him again.
ONE....
Khrua smiled as she sat, feeling the baby move and swim around inside her. She had begun to speak to her unborn child, letting the baby hear her voice as much as possible. "I love you sweetness, I will protect you from anything!", her voice cracked as she slowly thought that she was alone in this world, no one to love or protect HER. The baby kicked her in response and she giggled. She wished that the father could be there, holding her, whispering in her ear his love.
"That's a fools dream.", a voice seemed to tell her mind. The father was a wanderer, in search of a warm body, and she was warm, for a price. She looked out the window, the sun creeping up in the distance, she sighed and got dressed again. Another day of giving a warm body was ahead, and she needed as much money as she could in the state she was in. The baby kicked harder and harder, trying to stop her from go out and doing her dreadful deeds. "Please forgive me little one.", she whispered to the unborn child.
TWO...
The bar was centered in the middle of the small town, not by accident, but planned by the mayor himself, so that he could go there when he was working, which seemed to be always. It was a small tavern, dimly lit and a small stage in the middle of the room. The stage was sometimes frequented by a singer or a fiddle player, but now it was incompassing the talents of Khrua, the local whore, as the men knew her. She was subtle to the touch, soft in speech, but she had some morals, and wouldn't have relations with a poor man.
A young man sitting in the seat in front of stage, starred at her but not for the show, he was more interested in the girl herself. He tried to speak to her.
"Excuse me....ma'am?" he tried waving his hand in front of her, but the man next to him threw 3 gold pieces onto the stage and her attention was diverted. She gave the other man a gentle smile, and walked to his table. The other man, a great beast of a fellow, with shaggy brown hair on his head, face, and chest. His teeth (what little he had) were the same shade. Khrua, swallowed silently, and sat on the mans lap.
The man stuffed more gold pieces into the bust of her dress, getting a cheap feel in the process, and she looked down sadly as he took advantage of her in front of his chuckling friends.
Syver, watched with disgust, and approached the man, gently tapping the big guy on the shoulder. "What do ya want, pipsqueak?!" the man laughed at him. Syver, being less than interested in words, promptly punched the man in the face. The big guy didn't move, unaffected by the hit, he just looked at the boy in disbelief. Syver then tried to back away, as every man in tavern (it seemed) incroached upon him. He closed his eyes and the pain went searing through every part of his body.
THREE...
Blinking into a light, Syver woke up on a soft bed, he stopped and tried to adjust himself accordingly, when a hand gave him a quick slap in the face.
"I hope you have enough money to pay me back for saving your arse!!", the slapper said to him. He rubbed his cheek, then remembered the rest of his body hurt as well.
"That wasn't the "Good Morning!" I was expecting.", he looked to her, why was it in books and stories, girls appreciated a man saving her from a big burly slob. This girl seemed completely ungrateful. He looked at her, her dress was ripped where the sleeves were, it seemed less of a dress as it wasn't covering much anymore.
He closed his eyes, "Did they do that to you?"
"It -IS- my profession, I take it in stride, except when a dimwit like you comes and scares off my customers! So where is my money, and lets get this over with!", her eyes flashed with anger, it looked as if a storm was happening in the deep blueness that her eyes should have been.
"I don't have any money, I think your friend took it all.", Syver squinted in the light, trying to focus on her face.
She rolled her eyes, "Then you don't get anything from me!"
"I didn't want you to give me anything."
"You LIE every man wants something!", she snarled at him, he was a pathetic sight to begin with, and now he was trying to be chivilrous, they always try that approach when they are desperate.
"I think I've proved to you I'm less of a man, than you've had. Good day.", Syver got up, clutching his shoulder with one hand and limped to the door. Khrua walked in front of him and blocked the door, her eyes les than sympathetic. "Listen here," she waved her hand, she didn't know his name, "whoever you are! I didn't ASK you to save me from him! But you owe me my days wage, and you can't just walk out on me, you'll have to make it up to me!"
"Syver."
"WHAT??"
"That's my name. Syver. I'm not exactly in the position to help anyone here, as you mentioned I failed at helping you.", his eyes showed sorrow, he hadn't meant to ruin her life, or day atleast.
"Well Syver or whatever, I need you to....", she looked at him, he was bruised and cut up in places that a bigger fellow would have braggged about. "Sit on the bed, you clod.", she pushed him down, roughly, most of the damage had already been done.
FOUR...
Syver leaned up against the broom, and watched Khrua do her act on the stage, of course he paid more attention to the men watching her, sadly wanting to stop them everytime they shouted or tried to touch her. And when they gave he rthe gold pieces, he diverted his attention back on sweeping, it broke his heart. But in some way he was making money, even if it was cleaning up at the tavern, it was something.
At the end of the day, Khrua, tired and sweaty would take his earning rom the owner and pocket them as well, Syver didn't mind. He followed her back to her small room at the inn, and felt nervous, he didn't like sleeping in her room with her, it didn't feel right, but he set up his blanket in the far right corner, close to the door.
Khrua watched Syver closely and got undressed, she didn't understand why he covered his eyes, or looked away when she did. Was there something wrong with her body, that he didn't want to look, he didn't look when they were at the tavern either. It was upsetting her, maybe she was losing her touch.
"Don't you like me, Syver?", she blurted out in frustration, "it doesn't cost YOU to look."
"I respect you too much to look, Khrua. I'll just go to sleep, ok?"
She just rolled her eyes, and nodded, like she was giving him permission.
FIVE....